The present invention relates generally to medical treatment systems and particularly to manually-actuated, reduced-pressure systems and apparatuses for treating wounds.
Clinical studies and practice have shown that providing a reduced pressure in proximity to a tissue site augments and accelerates the growth of new tissue at the tissue site. The applications of this phenomenon are numerous, but application of reduced pressure has been particularly successful in treating wounds. This treatment (frequently referred to in the medical community as “negative pressure wound therapy,” “reduced pressure therapy,” or “vacuum therapy”) provides a number of benefits, including faster healing and increased formulation of granulation tissue. Typically, reduced pressure is applied to tissue through a porous pad or other manifolding device. The porous pad contains cells or pores that are capable of distributing reduced pressure to the tissue and channeling fluids that are drawn from the tissue. The porous pad may be incorporated into a dressing having other components that facilitate treatment.
Reduced-pressure treatment systems are often applied to large, highly exudating wounds present on patients undergoing acute or chronic care, as well as other severe wounds that are not readily susceptible to healing without application of reduced pressure. Low-severity wounds that are smaller in volume and produce less exudate have generally been treated with dressings and not with reduced pressure. The expense and need for trained caregivers to administer and maintain reduced-pressure systems have been a detriment to use. At the same time, size and power requirements have been a detriment to many patients who desire mobility and comfort. Further still, the expense of systems has made it difficult to justify use of reduced pressure on low-severity wounds.
One of the challenges of treating wounds with reduced pressure is providing an effective manner of producing a constant source of reduced pressure. Currently, battery-operated pumps are often used to provide a reduced pressure to the wound site. However, these pumps are costly and require maintenance to ensure the batteries do not run out of power while the wound therapy is occurring. The loss of battery power may result in a long period of time until the reduced pressure is restored to the site due to the time involved to change the battery or make other provisions. Moreover, if the reduced pressure at the site is not maintained properly, leaks can occur at the wound site limiting the effectiveness of the reduced-pressure therapy.